Behind The Shadows: Stories Untold
by JBubu
Summary: Working in the shadows comes at a cost. Those very agents who tread the fine line of twilight between the days of the hero and nights of monsters. Just what does the abyss hide? What has come to pass in but whispers and memory? Happiness and comradery or desolation and betrayal. It's time we found out, don't you think?
1. A Dragon and His Gem

**Author's Note: Welcome everyone to Stories Untold! As I've stated in the finale of Shadow Ops, this little project is side-story and filler of sorts. Everything that happens here did occur in the sequel to Shadow Ops, just wasn't explicitly covered. I'll also use this to publish little shorts and so forth involving the story but I'll specify if the chapter has consequence for the main story.**

 **As always, please review, feedback, and for this particular series, ideas (I will take any into consideration).**

* * *

"So you grew up out here?" Athena asked as she walked along the stone path, rounding the imposing mountain.

To her left was a towering mountain, its shadow cast over them as the sun began its steady descent. To her right there was a forest of redwoods, the highest branches rivaling the Beacon tower as birds flew past. The forest seemed to go on endlessly, an ancient air radiating from it. _'It's hard to believe that we were in a small village just a few hours ago_ ,' she thought as she returned her attention to the path, her mind recalling the events prior.

* * *

After arriving in Vacuo, Dante had secured them an off-roading jeep for travel, telling her that they would have to drive through rough terrain for several hours. They drove to the northern end of Vacuo, into the mountains and forest near the border, putting the jeeps heavy suspension and anti-slip tires to good use as they traveled through mostly uneven gravel roads. Then they'd stopped at a small village, its size resembling that of Farglow with the addition of a hostel and hunter's quarters.

They left the jeep there. Dante had assured her that no one would touch it. She wasn't sure how he knew but she had noticed 2 things about the village. First and most obvious was that nearly all the villagers she saw were fauna, and second, that all who saw Dante gave him a wide girth. She could see the sudden surprise flash in their eyes whenever they saw him, then they would step back, ever so slightly bowing their heads while Dante smiled politely. It was like a noble walking amongst the common folks, all giving him a solemn respect as he passed by.

Just seeing that alone told Athena that Dante was known around here and his status was recognized for what he was, an Alpha. Even the few humans they passed, most hunters, lowered their eyes as the pair passed by. They stopped to get some food at a small tavern, owned by a very friendly couple of bear fauna, welcoming them like family. The food, a hearty meal of local meat, bread, and cheeses washed down with fresh juice, was better than any restaurant that Athena had been to. After finishing the meal the couple had tried to pass it off as free but Dante insisted on paying full price. It had been an amusing exchange to watch, the couple finally breaking down to Dante's stubbornness, saying that he wouldn't leave until they let him pay them.

Once that was settled, the pair left the village, taking a small path that lead deep into the mountains. There were several warnings posted near the entrance, giving notice to any travelers that the area beyond had large Grimm and the possibility of injury due to Grimm or terrain was high. They even had a small cabin acting as a check point requiring valid ID's and permits to enter the path. The clerk stationed at the time, a lynx if she had to guess, didn't so much as bat an eye when they passed. That didn't seem to bug Dante in the slightest, the two beginning their trek on foot with the sun at its highest point. As the duo walked she'd asked about the villager's behavior. Dante explained that he had come to the village regularly during his childhood, playing around with local children, getting into trouble, and generally getting to know the villagers.

His parents also frequented the village. As it turned out, his parents were recognized as the owners of the land and held in the highest esteem. The village was protected from Grimm whilst also being safeguarded from any movement by the Vacuo council. In return the village behaved as a check point for any travelers trying to reach deeper into the mountains and . . . Dante's home. If any suspicious characters happened by, unless carrying valid permits, they would be detained and Dante's parents would be alerted. Dante had explained that it was a common practice used by the Alpha clans after their self-imposed exile.

* * *

"Yeah . . . until I left when I turned 17, that is," Dante answered as he glanced to the forest.

The pair resumed their silence as they reached the bend of the mountain, finally walking past it and into the valley hidden behind it. Athena couldn't help but gasp at the sight. Before her lay a small valley, an expanse of redwoods and evergreens coating most of the land. To the left end of the valley she could see what looked like a massive lake, its waters shining with beautiful shades of blue near the center and lighter, greenish-blues near the edges, the shore coated in an almost white sand. Then she looked to the right of the valley and her jaw almost hit the floor.

There she saw what looked like an estate surrounded by a small wall, nestled against the side of a mountain. She could distinguish about 8 buildings, each separated by an expanse of open-air hallways. One had a large smoking chimney and thick looking stone walls. _'A forge_ ,' she thought as she looked to the other buildings. At their distance she could only make out sparse details but then Dante caught her stare and pointed out each building.

"The one with the huge chimney is the master forgery. Next to it is the arena, used for training, friendly competitions, and so forth. Farther up from it is the servant's quarters . . ."

"Servants?" Athena interrupted with surprise.

Dante nodded. "The Alpha clans were like royalty and when they left, several smaller clans of Betas left with them under sworn loyalty. My father wasn't too big on it but let some came along."

"So you grew up with butlers and maids?"

Dante nodded shyly this time. "Anyways . . . to the center is the main building, built with a massive dining room, ballroom, studies, kitchen, bathhouse, and library. To the left of it is the garden and the guest quarters. Lastly, the building closest to the mountain was our rooms."

"What about the one that looks like it was built into the mountains?" she asked. It looked like a large set of stairs leading to a massive gate of some sort leading into the mountain.

"That is my father's private meeting room . . . imagine a throne room with a large hall allowing for anything from a gathering to a duel," Dante answered with a grim tone.

"Is that . . ." she left the question hang in the air.

Dante nodded gravely as he responded looked at her. "He's probably in there."

"Then let's not keep him waiting," she answered as the pair started to descend down the path and into the valley.

* * *

They soon arrived at the dual-doored gate, made of some form of metal that Athena couldn't recognize, leading through the wall and into the ring of buildings. Dante walked up to it and rested one palm on each door, glancing back at her before speaking.

"The gate is never locked during the day."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it's used to test the strength of any guest wishing to speak to my father," he replied before he started to apply pressure.

After a second the doors started to open inwards, slowly yet soundlessly moving on heavy gears as Dante stepped forward. Athena noticed 2 thick cables attached to the ends of the doors that ran back into the gate's overhang. Dante kept moving forward until both his arms were fully extended before, with one final grunt, he shoved the doors farther apart to leave an opening nearly 10 feet apart.

"Come on," Dante said as he passed the doors and glanced back at her.

Before she could reply to him she noticed that the doors were starting to swing back to a close. She yelped slightly as she jumped past the doors and landed beside Dante before turning around to watch the doors close. It took about 10 seconds before they closed completely, the thick metal slabs sliding perfectly into place. She then noticed the weights and levers attached to the cables. _'So they have a counterweight that pulls the doors closed_ ,' she mused as she looked at the variety of weights, guessing that the current weight was just over 2000 lbs.

"Hello Master Dante."

Athena jumped at the unknown voice, wheeling around to see a butler looking at the two. He was dressed in a traditional butler's attire, similar to the one Dante used during the Crescent Fall Dance. Yet unlike Dante, this man had greying hair combed neatly back, a set of rounded animal ears on the top of his head. She couldn't recognize what they were so she looked at his face, finding the man to have shockingly sharp, dark brown eyes that felt like they belonged to a young man. His complexion was fairly light, with a slim build and tall stature, marking around 6'6.

"Mr. Reilly, it's been a long time," Dante answered without the slightest look of surprise.

"Just over 3 years," Mr. Reilly answered politely. "It seems you are in good health, I trust your return was uneventful."

"Pleasant enough," Dante replied.

Mr. Reilly nodded contently before fixing his eyes on Athena, looking her over critically. She started to feel uncomfortable under the gaze, so instead she looked at Dante for a moment.

"And this is?" He asked Dante without taking his eyes off her.

"Athena Sapphirus, my partner and guest," Dante replied sternly.

"Very well. Do you need any refreshments?" Mr. Reilly asked as he finally took his eyes off her.

"No, we are fine . . . where is mother?" Dante asked as he looked past the butler and towards the building behind him.

"Garden sir."

"Thank you."

Without another word the butler bowed and walked off, towards the main building while Dante resumed moving as well.

"Um . . . Dante, what was he?" she asked softly as she watched the butler disappear at a turn.

"Wolverine faunus," he replied then fell silent.

She followed closely behind him, taking in the architecture as they passed through one of the open air halls. The halls and railings were carved from wood, the surfaces smoothed to perfection with some carvings decorating the roofs. On each side of the halls and paths there was lush grass and flowers, filling the air with a variety of aromas that Athena couldn't recognize. As they passed what looked like the guest quarters, she noticed that the outside walls were covered in a dense array of vines, camouflaging the stone building.

They took a small path off to the left, this one made of stone slabs surrounded in grass, as they walked to a wooded fence reaching up to about 8 feet, also covered in vines. They stepped through an opening in the fence and walked into the actual garden. It was a large expanse of land, probably nearing the size of a small arena, covered in flower patches. Gravel paths wound around a large tree at the very center of the garden. Its base was thick, nearly 6 feet across, while the trunk rose up and split into hundreds of branches like an enormous umbrella. Even with them being in the middle of fall the leaves were still pristinely green, waving lazily as a breeze rolled by.

She was so mesmerized by the garden that she nearly forgot that they were there to find Dante's mother. He tapped her gently in the side, snapping her out of her stupor before he called out.

"Mother . . ."

There was no reply, instead Athena heard what sounded like the soft rustling of cloth. A few seconds passed before Athena noticed a figure appear, walking around the tree, as she neared them. Athena's eyes widened as she took in the appearance of Dante's mother.

She was about the same height as herself, her skin was the color of almonds. She was wearing a sleeveless cream dress, reaching her ankles but leaving her bare feet exposed, with a bronze sash tied around her waist. The dress hugged her hourglass figure, the bottom of the hem fluttering with the breeze. Then there was her eyes, unlike anything Athena had ever seen. Her irises were like a kaleidoscope, the outermost edges of her irises shining a golden yellow while the edge closest to the pupils had a light blue tint like that of the sky. Those eyes complemented by a head of brunette hair, the tips turning to a familiar reddish brown that reached just past her shoulder.

Then the slightest movement took Athena's eyes off her face to look behind her. Athena had to stop herself from gasping at what she saw next. Dante's mother had fully fledged wings, the feathers exactly like the one Dante had received in the mail. The feathers closest to the base were almost white with red tips while the larger feathers had the brown coloration fading into red at the tips. All together she stood strong yet graceful, radiating a sense of true power tempered with humility and patience.

"Beautiful . . ." Athena mumbled in spite of herself.

Dante's mother smiled faintly as she looked at her before turning her gaze to Dante, the smile growing as she walked up to him and enveloped him in a hug. He returned the embrace, his chin resting on the crown of her head, as he closed his eyes. They remained like that for over a minute, until his mother released the embrace and stepped back to look at him.

"Dante . . ." she said in a soft, almost musical voice.

"Hi mom," he replied sweetly, giving her a genuine smile.

"How are you? It's been so long," she continued, looking Dante up and down. "You seem to be in good health."

"I'm good," Dante replied to her as he glanced at Athena. "Mom, this is my partner, Athena."

Dante's mother looked back at her, her smile growing as she stepped closer and offered Athena a hand. Athena took it, getting surprised by an exceptionally strong and firm handshake.

"Hello Athena, my name is Shira Aurum," Dante's mother said in her musical voice.

"Hello Mrs. Aurum, my name is Athena Sapphirus," she replied.

"Oh, just Shira will be fine," his mother said.

Athena couldn't help but lightly chuckle at that. "Ok, Shira it is."

"Now Dante," Shira said as she turned to him. "Your father is waiting . . . go."

Her tone wasn't forceful in the slightest but Athena could tell that it carried a significant amount of authority. Dante nodded before glancing at Athena in concern.

"She'll be fine, in fact I would quite enjoy the company," Shira said to reassuringly as she placed one hand on Athena's shoulder.

Dante looked at her one last time before turning around and jogging out of the garden. A few moments of silence passed before Athena looked to Shira beside her, the older woman giving her a kind smile before gesturing for her to follow. The two walked towards the base of the tree before Shira slowly lowered herself to sit on her knees and patted the ground beside her. Athena obliged, taking a seat on her knees as well, before looking at Shira, waiting for her to begin.

"So Athena," Shira started. "Did you enjoy the trip out here?"

Athena glanced at her hands before replying. "It was pleasant enough and the view was beautiful."

"That's good."

They fell silent again for almost a minute before Athena decided to ask something.

"Um . . . Shira?"

"Yes?"

"Is it ok if I ask you something?"

Shira tilted her head curiously. "Of course, what is it?"

"Why did you call us here?"

"Hmm . . ." Shira mumbled for a moment before answering. "Because there are things we needed to discuss with Dante."

"But then why send two tickets? In fact, if you haven't spoken in so long, how did you know he was in Beacon?"

"Well, it is a little complicated so allow me to explain," Shira said as she trailed one hand through her hair. "After Dante left, his father and I were worried that he would get himself in trouble. We knew how distraught he was after . . . Othrys Academy . . . so we kept close tabs on him, even if he didn't know about it. We respected his need for space and only checked on him every few months, usually just taking note of his activity as a bounty hunter."

". . ."

"That's how we knew he was in Beacon and his new role as a 'Slayer'."

"Wait, how could you learn that?" Athena asked in surprise.

Shira smirked lightly as she answered. "Dante's father has some associates in the Vacuo council. All it took was a little string pulling."

"So how much do you know?" Athena asked hesitantly.

Shira gave her a kind smile. "That he is a team leader, was hospitalized after one mission, and just returned from an elimination operation in the Razorback Mountains . . . and that he has gotten close to someone."

Athena felt her face heat up, her heart racing.

"I've especially been wanting to meet this person. Someone capable of getting near him after everything he's been through," Shira continued with knowing look. "And so far . . . I approve of what I see."

"O-Oh?"

"Yes well . . . I will admit that when we first received news of such developments . . . I may have had some reservations," Shira continued, her gaze becoming stern but not unfriendly. "After all . . . most humans have feared and therefore hated fauna, especially Alphas. As it stands I can't help but worry about him, regardless of how strong he may grow."

" . . . I . . . understand what you mean . . ." Athena replied as she glanced down at her hands before looking at Shira's eyes. "He always tries to protect others . . . even if it means he'll be hurt . . . or hated for it."

"So you've seen that side of him as well . . . he truly does take after his father in that regard," Shira said with the faintest smile, seemingly recalling a fond memory but then the smile faded. "Even in the long line of dragons . . . those two are oddballs. They are far more kind-hearted and forgiving . . . but at times naïve and easily taken advantage of. It makes me wonder if he isn't being used."

As those words left Shira's mouth, Athena couldn't help but feel a slight spark of anger, knowing that Shira was meaning her. She would have said something too but the look in Shira's eyes, along with a sudden burning pressure akin to Dante's but more tempered, kept her quiet.

"That is why I needed to ask you this," Shira said as she reached for Athena's hand, gently taking hold with a warmth similar to Dante's. " . . . Do you truly love him?"

Athena looked into Shira's eyes, swearing for a moment that it looked as if her irises had literally been burning with shades of gold and aquamarine when she asked. Those eyes gazing not only at her, but into her, past any form of concealment, searching for the truth.

"Yes," Athena replied softly.

Shira stared at her hard for a few more moments before releasing her hand with a content nod.

"If that's so, then I will support you . . . even if you are human. Now, back to why you needed to come here. There have been some alarming . . . developments that have caused my husband to grow concerned. That is why he wanted Dante to come so urgently, to warn him and hopefully to help him prepare."

Athena was about to ask why that was so important but was cut off when she heard a loud explosion accompanied with a powerful tremor that lasted for nearly 5 seconds.

"What!?" she asked in surprise as she was about to get up but Shira placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, that was just some fatherly love," she said casually.

"Excuse me!?" Athena asked in shock before another explosion and tremor erupted, this time shorter.

"And the son returning the love," Shira chuckled out.

She then looked at Athena's confused face.

"There's nothing to worry about. That usually happened whenever Dante and his father got into an argument. It shouldn't be too long but judging from the return strike, I think Dante has made leaps and bounds power wise . . . he might even be stronger than me now," Shira explained in an amused voice.

"Are you sure?" Athena asked uneasily as she glanced in the direction of the building carved out of the mountain.

"Positive . . . now, tell me about Beacon and your team. I've been so curious after we heard that he actually settled somewhere after years of constantly moving through the kingdoms," Shira responded as she looked at Athena excitedly.

Athena sighed as a smile traced her lips.

"Ok . . ."

* * *

"Bastard knocked out a tooth . . ." Dante grumbled to himself as he walked back towards the garden while inspecting the silvery fang in his hand.

He could feel the new tooth take its place, along with several of his bones mending the cracks formed from the 'little scuffle' he just had with his father. _'But . . . I gave him a bloody nose_ ,' he thought with glee. It wasn't every day that a juvenile as young as himself went up against a Kishin and actually managed to draw blood . . . even if it was something as trivial as a nose bleed.

He walked into the garden and spotted Athena and his mother sitting at the base of the Great Oak, sipping on what smelled like peppermint tea and some honey biscuits on a small platter. The sight of his girlfriend and mother enjoying tea together made him relax, knowing that if nothing had happened to Athena then his mother had approved. Otherwise he would have returned to a pile of ash. His mother was very direct that way.

"Having a good time are we?" he asked jokingly as he approached them.

"Surprised you're still conscious," his mother said as she took another sip of her tea while Athena gave her a questioning look. "What? I said they fight it out all the time, not that they both are still standing by the end of it."

"Oh ha-ha," Dante grumbled as he looked down at them. "Well I'm standing."

"I can see that," his mother replied as she set the tea done and stood up, Athena following suite. "Then I trust you and your father managed to have a semblance of a conversation before the fists started to fly?"

"He started it," Dante replied to which his mother raised an eyebrow at him. "But yeah . . . we talked for a bit before and after. He said that we'll talk more at dinner."

"That's the plan," his mother said as she smiled at him and Athena. "Then I'll see you both in a few hours, until then . . ."

His mother then stepped up to him and gave him another warm hug before looking at Athena with a smile and nodding. She then turned away and walked towards the entrance but stopped just before stepping out.

"Oh and Dante, your hideout would be a better spot to leave your things and change there since your room is actually under some renovation."

Then she was gone, leaving the two in the garden.

"Huh, I wonder what's being changed," he muttered as he looked at Athena. "So, how was it?"

"She's really nice," Athena replied with a smile. "And she approves of me."

"That's very good to hear," he replied as he took her right hand in his left. "Wanna get going?"

Athena nodded so the couple made their way out of the garden and back to the paths separating the buildings. They walked silently, enjoying the view as they traveled to the wall surrounding his parent's estate. They approached another gate, this one smaller than the main gate. He placed his palm on it and gave a slight shove, pushing back the fairly light gate that unlike the main one, didn't swing back automatically. They walked out of the estate and back into a portion of the surrounding forest.

"Why did your mom call wherever we're going your hideout?" Athena asked as they walked along a dirt path.

"Because I made it when I was a little kid to have a private space and kept adding to it over time," he responded as he stopped and pointed to small stone cabin.

"You made that?" she asked as they approached it.

"With help."

Once they were at the door, he crouched down and picked up a rock before tilting it over and taking out an old key.

"Really?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Yep," he said as he unlocked the front door and stepped in.

It was dark inside and the sun was about to set so he searched around for the candles he normally used as his light source. He found all 4 and made a small flame at the tip of his index finger to light each. Now with proper light Athena stepped in and looked around.

It was a comfortable space, roughly the size of an average dorm back at Beacon. Against one wall was a queen sized bed, a light blanket and set of fresh pillows on top. Then against the opposite wall was a desk and a large dresser, the door hanging slightly open allowing him to see some of his clothes in it. _'I wonder if anything there still fits me_ ,' he thought as he watched Athena take in the little cabin.

"It's just a bed and a desk?" she asked.

"Well, my parents are big on everyone eating together so there was never a need to build a little kitchen," he answered.

"What about a bathroom?"

"There is an outhouse in the back with full plumbing. We got a mechanic that is quite the innovator that made it. As for bathing, there is a stream that runs behind the cabin with fresh ground water. I made a small duct that brings the water into an open air tub. Don't worry, I also made a fence around it for some privacy," he answered.

"This is really nice," she said as she sat on the bed and took of her backpack, setting it down beside the bed. "So, what now?"

"Rest, get changed for dinner," he answered as he fished out his scroll and looked at the time. "So we have about 3 hours, 2 if you consider when they'll drop off your dress."

"What!?" Athena asked in surprise.

"Yeah . . . they really like getting dressed up for guests so they'll bring you a few dresses to try on," he explained.

"They just have them lying around?" she asked as she got up and stepped closer to him.

"No, they'll make them for you."

"How? They don't know my size."

"Mr. Reilly has an uncanny way of reading people's measurements from a glance," he replied with a shrug. "So let's relax while we can."

"Ok," she sighed before she looked at him curiously. "So what did you talk to your dad about?"

"Oh . . . a fair amount actually. Small speech about how I should have contacted sooner, then asking about things in Beacon, about the missions, and . . ." he stopped, trying to find the right words.

"And?" she persisted as she leaned closer.

"And about you . . . he kind of slugged me the moment I mentioned that I was in love with a human," he said softly.

"Oh," she said somewhat sadly as she looked at her feet.

"But," he started as he placed a finger under her chin and slowly raised her face up to look at him. "I told him that I didn't care what he thought of you, I love you and I'm staying with you."

She smiled warmly at him before leaning forward and giving him a kiss. He kissed back immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. They deepened the kiss, their tongues fighting for dominance, a battle that Athena won yet again.

"You know," he said as he paused for a moment. "We have a rather large piece of empty time to fill."

"Oh really?" Athena replied teasingly. "And just what do you plan to do with it?"

"We'll find out, won't we?" he replied with a toothy grin, making her giggle.

As she pulled him back into the kiss he slid off his backpack and tossed it to the corner, then unlatching Draco Ira from his hip and dropping it like a dead weight. He then returned his hands to her body, his left going through her hair as his right wrapped right under her rear before lifting her up and making her wrap her legs around his waist. She giggled into the kiss as he stepped towards the bed, slowly leaning down until she let go of him and dropped down onto the bed. He gave her a smirk as he straightened up and tossed off his jacket before slowly pulling off his shirt and undoing his wraps.

"Heeelloo~ . . ." Athena said in a sultry voice as her eyes trailed over his toned body hungrily, still laying on her back.

"Like what you see?" he asked as he put one knee on the bed and got closer to her.

"Maybe . . . could use a full view," she replied as he leaned over her body before she grabbed his head and pulled him into another kiss.

They kissed for a while longer before he broke it and started to trail kisses down her neck. She started to moan ever so softly as he peppered her neck and collarbone, nipping at her hard enough to pleasure but not enough to leave anything like a hickey. He then focused on her signature, blue, long sleeved shirt.

"Time to go," he quipped as he started to kiss her again while his hands grabbed onto the bottom of her shirt and started to lift it.

It took him all of 2 seconds to remove the shirt and toss it aside as well, only to see Athena's black lace bra. He smirked as he started to kiss her collarbone before slowly descending to her breasts. Her moans grew as he kissed them, occasionally biting at them through the bra.

"Stop . . . teasing," she said through soft moans.

He was all too happy to comply, unhooking the offending garment to reveal her supple breasts. He took a moment to marvel at the sight of the perfectly smooth skin of her breasts, ending in perky, pink nipples. He lightly trailed his hand over her left breast while also kissing around the right one, making Athena start to moan even louder. He then stuck his tongue out and passed beside the nipple, just barely grazing it earning a sharp gasp from her. _'Let's see how far I can get her with just this_ ,' he mused as he moved his mouth over her nipple and slowly began to suck on it.

Another gasp followed by a longer moan, her hand running through his hair and pulling him closer. ' _More_ ,' he hungrily thought as he softly bite the nipple, eliciting a small cry of surprise and pleasure. He smirked, having found a possible winner, and started to alternate between her breasts, occasionally biting. Athena's breathing was starting to get heavy, her hands holding him tighter.

"Dante . . ." she mumbled as she opened one eye to look at him.

He knew exactly what she wanted and gave her a smirk as he moved lower, trailing down her smooth stomach, now biting hard enough to leave a hickey. He wanted to mark her, as his mate and partner, his more primal side starting to surface as he left small hickeys. He then arrived to her scar, the one back from initiation. He slowed down as he passed over it, eyeing it for a moment as a slight growl escaped him, before he moved on. His hands trailed up her legs, one stopping at her ass while the other pushed her skirt up. He paused and took a moment to appreciate the sight of Athena's cute, stripped panties. _'Black with blue stripes . . . aren't these the ones from initiation_ ,' he thought as he looked up at her.

"These are cute," he said teasingly, making her blush as she looked at him.

Before she could say anything he bent down and kissed her bottom lips through the fabric, earning a sharp yelp as her legs tensed up. He smiled to himself as he started to play with her lower lips, a series of moans escaping her regardless of how hard she tried to stifle them. He kept going for several minutes, relishing in the sounds she made as her panties became damp, begging for more. He glanced up at her, seeing that she was biting onto her own finger while the other hand massaged her breasts. _'Just getting started_ ,' he thought as he bite onto her panties and in one smooth motion, pulled them off to expose her clean shaven pussy.

' _Buen provecho_ ,' he thought as he started to kiss her clit, one of her hands clutching onto his head in response. He let his tongue explore her surface, adding to her wetness as she moaned harder. He started with the slightest contact, teasing her even as she started to squirm with impatience, then he moved lower and ran his tongue over her entrance, her hips bucking for more. He repeatedly went up and down, traveling between her clit and entrance, playfully zigzagging is tongue as her grip tightened, delivering one clear message. Do not stop. He kept playing for a minute or so before he grabbed onto her thighs to hold them down before he closed the distance, his tongue tunneling into her core.

"Dante . . . fuck . . ." she moaned out as both her hands grabbed onto his head.

He kept flicking his tongue in and out, Athena responding by trying to buck her hips as she moaned for more. He could feel her heat building, hear her heart race, and her thighs try to tighten together as he added more force to his tongue, relishing in her taste. He wasn't sure how but without any doubts he tasted vanilla while a scent of lavender filled his nose. He then felt her shudder, listened to the sound of her toes cracking from curling as her breathing hitched for a moment.

"I-I . . . I'm g-gonna . . . cum . . ." she panted out.

 _'Just a little more_ ,' he thought as he upped the speed, beginning to swirl his tongue inside her, brushing against her internal walls. As her panting increased and her back began to arch, he withdrew his tongue and nipped at her clit in a split second, finally sending her over the edge.

She cried out in ecstasy as she came, most of her fluids spilling out onto his tongue and chin.

He happily lapped at her pussy, leaving the surface spotless before he felt her pulling his head up. He followed the tug, meeting her in a deep kiss. As they kissed she turned him over, landing on top of him while straddling his hips.

"My turn," she purred in his ear making him growl. "Feisty . . ."

She started to trail kisses down his neck and all the way to his waist line, her hands dragging over his finely etched muscle. She then glanced up at him with a playful smirk before unbuckling his pants and pulling him down just enough to expose his boxer briefs and the bulge underneath.

"Someone looks more than ready," she teased as she poked the bulge.

 _'Oh no . . . she's a teaser_ ,' he thought in slight horror. He didn't know if he had the mind or the willpower to hold back if she didn't do something.

"Let's see what we got," she almost whispered as she pulled down his underwear, his erect member springing out.

She glanced at him for a moment before licking her lips, then turning her attention to his member. She let one finger trail over the head, making him take a sharp breath as he looked at her. She was watching him, noting every reaction, and enjoying his torturous wait. This time her finger trailed up and down the shaft, the contact not nearly enough for his current desire. She giggled for a moment as she leaned closer before planting a chaste kiss on the head.

He groaned at that, both as a reaction to the contact and at the sudden loss of contact. She smiled at him innocently, then it turned into a devilish grin as she leaned again, this time enveloping the head in her lips. One of his hands reached for her head and ran his fingers through her hair as she slowly went up and down his shaft. He could feel her tongue pass over it as she went up and down, sucking on his cock with one hand grasping the shaft.

"Athena . . ." he groaned as she sped up

She continued until he could feel himself nearing the peak, his body starting to heat up. He could feel his cock begin to throb, ready to blow at the moment's notice. He felt her suck a little harder, the effect being almost instantaneous. With another growl he came in her mouth but she had been ready for it, the sound of her swallowing the load following shortly after. He leaned back with a sigh as she let go of his member and crawled up to him before kissing him again.

He broke the kiss before looking into her beautiful, dark blue eyes. "Ready for more?"

"You don't need a small break?" she asked with a glance at his still erect cock.

"Nope, unlike humans, most fauna can go for several rounds without stopping," he replied with a predatory grin.

Before Athena could reply he had her on back making her almost squeak in surprise, kissing her again as his hand trailed down to her dripping pussy, lightly massaging the lips making her moan into the kiss. He then slowly guided his cock towards her entrance, the head rubbing against her lips as she clutched onto his shoulders in anticipation. In one motion her pierced her, Athena letting out a sharp gasp and then low moan as his full length entered her. He slowly began to pump in and out, gently testing the waters with how much strength he could use.

"D-Dante . . . f-faster," she managed to breath out as she held onto him, wrapping her legs around him.

He complied, his pace rising as he pumped harder. Her moans started to become ragged pants, his eyes locked to the bounce of her breasts with his every thrust, her cheeks flushing as she looked at him. He loved the sight, her eyes begging him for more as her nails started to dig into his back, her hips grinding into him. He ran a hand under her ass and raised her hips off the bed, earning another cry of pleasure as she arched her back while one of her hands grabbed onto his neck.

"Fuck . . . me!" she shouted, her inhibitions gone.

He kept pumping, her every moan and pant driving him on as he looked at her. She then reached out and grabbed his head, pulling him into a kiss even as he kept going.

She moaned into the kiss, her hands desperately clinging onto him. He could feel her inner walls pulse, tightening down around his cock, feel her heart race as it pounded away in her chest. Then one of her hands pressed against his chest, landing on the crystal making it beam with hues of silver and blue. In that instant he felt the emotion of her aura, her love and desire to be with him, the tenderness and closeness they shared, all of it becoming crystal clear for that moment. She must have felt it too, her eyes locking with his as his eyes shifted to the draconic form.

They fell into a rhythm, their hearts and bodies pulsing as one. He looked into the dark gems of her eyes, finding solace and peace within them. They kept going until he felt a familiar sensation begin to swell, from himself as well as her. They were both at the peak again and they both knew it. He speed up even more, Athena clutching onto his head as if her life depended on it before they orgasmed together.

"Dante!" she screamed as she came with a force unlike that of her first one, her back arching and toes curling as her entire face flushed.

He on his end couldn't even form any coherent sound, his mouth instead resorting to giving a short roar as his body tensed as well.

It last for nearly 10 seconds before they both collapsed beside each other, their legs intertwined as they stared at each other. They both panted, their brows covering in sweat, before they both grinned and kissed. It was soft and passionate, meant to carry love and tenderness rather than lust or desire.

"I love you," he said as he broke the kiss.

"I love you too," Athena replied as she kissed him again before resting her head on his shoulder with a content sigh. He chuckled as he wrapped her in a soft hug, content to stay like that, their bodies in a naked embrace. After a few minutes Athena spoke.

"So . . . what now?" she asked.

"Hehe…wait for your clothes and get changed," he replied.

"How long do you think that'll be?"

"Still a few hours."

Athena stayed quiet for a few minutes before she rotated her body to lay on his chest and look up at him.

"How big is the tub outside?"

"Pretty big, why?"

"Can you heat it up?"

"Sure."

"Then that means you're bathing with me," she said with a mischievous wink.

He grinned as he gave her a quick kiss. "As you wish . . ."

* * *

"Do I really have to stand out here?" he called as he glanced back at the cabin.

"Until I finish getting dressed, yes," was the reply making him groan.

The sun had set, his parents were waiting for them in the dining hall, and now he had to wait outside for Athena to put on her new dress. He himself was already dressed in a simple black suit without a tie and a silver button shirt underneath. The clothes fit more snuggly than he remembered, probably due to having gained several inches in height and pounds of muscle during his 3 years of travel. At least he managed to maintain a relatively lean build, allowing him to remain with most of the clothing he used to wear without much difficulty.

"Would have been easier if they just brought her one dress," he grumbled to himself.

His mother had seen fit to have 3 dresses made, each with a different coloration and style, to allow Athena to choose the one that most suited her. Of course she'd loved all 3 and had shooed Dante out of the cabin so she could try each on before letting him see, leading to his current state outside.

He sighed again only to turn at the sound of the cabin door opening, his jaw hitting the floor once he saw her. She had chosen a sleeveless dress that flowed down to her thighs, snuggly fitting along her every curve. It was dark blue like her eyes with a black sash wrapping around her waist, accented with a pair of small earrings molded into the shape of tiny silvery flames. Her hair was also combed to the right side, just barely hiding part of her right eye as her jet black hair lightly spilled over her right shoulder. Lastly she was wearing a pair of black heels to complete her dress.

"Y-you look gorgeous," he said as he stepped closer to her.

She smiled warmly at him before cupping his cheek and pulling him into a kiss. "Thank you . . . you're looking sharp too."

He chuckled as he offered her his arm and the couple started walking back towards the estate.

"So," she said after some silence. "Quick question."

"Yes?"

"What did your father say about Draco Ira? I noticed that you left it back in the cabin."

He thought about it for a moment before answering. "I told him that the sword broke and the aura within it was destroyed. He didn't look surprised at all but didn't really go into what we would do about it."

"Ok . . . did you discuss anything else?" she asked as they walked past the gate into the estate.

"I only gave an overview of things back in Beacon but I haven't mentioned Lily yet if that's what you're asking."

"So . . ."

"We'll probably talk about that and more," he answered as they neared the main building.

He felt Athena begin to tense on his arm as they walked into building, passing the main foyer and hanging a right to a set of large oak doors and the dining hall behind them. He knew both his parents were in there and though his mother may have already approved of Athena, his father was an unknown. Would he be as accepting even after the underlying grudge he bears against humans? How would he take the news of Lily's existence and the fact that they both were now her guardians?

He took a breath to steady himself and looked to Athena at his side. He gave her a warm smile as he nodded before facing the doors and resting his palm on one. _'Here we go . . ._ '

* * *

 **Author's Rant: Surprise! Didn't see that coming did ya? First time writing a full lemon, let me know what you think (PLEASE)**

 **I'll just leave this here, a glimpse of what is to come and new developments!**


	2. Burdens To Bare

**Author's Note: And the second part to the four chapter set. I forgot to state last time that these four all happen in the same day and act as a trailer of sorts for the next installment of Beacon's Hidden Academy: Shadow Ops. As always, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Kiara . . . when do you think Athena and Dante will be back?"

Kiara looked up from her scroll, towards the girl sitting beside her on the floor. Her crimson eyes looking back with a hint of worry. Kiara gave her a faint smile as she reached out and placed a gentle hand on the girl's head.

"I'm not sure Lily but it shouldn't be too long," she replied.

"I miss them," the little vampire responded as she looked at her drawing book sadly.

"I know but don't worry, they will return. Dante pinky promised after all."

Her words seemed to do the trick, the worry in Lily's eyes slowly diminishing, her lips forming into a hopeful smile. She then returned to her drawing, her free hand grabbing onto Mr. Snuggles and pulling him into a hug while she focused on the paper. Kiara watched her for a few minutes, content to sit by and let the time pass. She sighed quietly as she leaned back and rested her head against the sofa behind her.

Dante and Athena had only left that same morning and already well into the afternoon Kiara was starting to feel her own uneasy grow. To be summoned by the strongest of the Kishin, and to bring along a human no less. ' _Come on snap out of it, Dante would never let something happen to Athena . . . even if it is against his own father,'_ she reminded herself as she looked at the ceiling.

She remembered stories her mother use to tell her, about the great clans and the power the Kishin wielded. Like Dante's father, her mother had also fought in the Faunus War, slaughtering any human forces that dared to attack faunus lands whilst the real faunus armies fought on the front lines. She always felt odd when her mother told these stories from personal account, even though that war had been fought nearly a century ago, but still recollected the details as if it had just happened days ago.

Even at a young age, Kiara could see the glint in her mother's eyes as she talked about killing humans, how she relished feeling their frail bodies crumple under her strength. Her mother was a killer, born and bred, a power few could dare to challenge, let alone match. But then there was the bitterness that followed, her eyes darkening as she recalled the events nearing the time of the Alpha's exile. The naming of the newest Kishin, a reflection of the new blood rising to power through the displays of their strength on the battle fields.

Kiara remembered that 5 new and relatively young fauna were introduced in the ceremony, each securing a powerful title. Sitiri, Leviathan, Ashura, Huracan . . . and Astaroth. The laws for the titles were simple, a Kishin had to step down or die to lose a title and the title reflected their strength and standing amongst each other. If one of the lords believed that they deserved a higher title, they would have to challenge the current holder and defeat them, the duals usually ending with the death of one of the combatants. Her mother told her that a dragon, just moved to the head of his family, had challenged for the title of Astaroth . . . and all but annihilated his opponent.

With the position of Astaroth decided, the other Alphas soon claimed their new titles. Sadly her mother had never really mentioned what the other Alphas had been, her own interest in the ceremony disappearing after Ashura, the second strongest, was named. ' _Sorry mom . . . you just never were as strong as . . . him,'_ she thought as she gazed back at Lily. Even if she knew Lily wasn't a natural Alpha and her instincts still told her to stay wary of the child, she couldn't find it in herself to be hostile towards the child. Whether it was Dante's influence as her pack leader or her own will rebelling against the instinct, she couldn't be sure. All that mattered to her now was keeping Lily safe.

She sighed again as she stood up and walked to the kitchen, wanting a cup of water. After she quenched her thirst, she looked to the small island in the middle of the kitchen, scanning over some of the papers left by Dante and Athena before they'd left. Mostly trivial things, some receipt from a recent shopping trip, a list of Lily's meal times, some scratch papers, nothing much of interest. She scoffed slightly at the list for Lily's meals, even noting the exact quantity of blood to give her. ' _I can take care of her just fine, they didn't need to go through all of this . . . they really are acting like her parents'_ she mused as glanced back to Lily.

"Lily . . . want to go outside for a bit?" she asked as she walked towards the girl.

"Outside?" Lily asked with a tilt of the head, as if the idea was completely foreign to her.

To avoid the possibility of Lily panicking from being around too many people, most of whom were heavily armed and radiating intimidating auras, Dante and Athena had kept her mostly in their new dorm with the occasional walk to Beacon's forests at night.

"Yeah, to see Beacon during the day," Kiara continued with a peppy smile.

"B-But . . . is it safe?" Lily asked.

"As long as I'm with you, yes."

". . . O-ok . . ."

Kiara's smile grew as she watched Lily walk to her room, searching for a light sweater. The weather was starting to chill, a clear sign that fall was underway and winter wasn't far behind. Luckily Vale wasn't known to get too cold during the winter, the lowest usually falling around the 50's. Kiara turned towards the door and a coat rack beside it, quickly picking up her own leather jacket and adjusting it snuggly onto her frame. She then turned to the sound of Lily approaching and cooed at the sight.

Lily was wearing a cute cream sweater, a size too big making the sleeves cover up to her fingers, along with a dark blue beanie. It was Athena's idea, making use of the beanie to hide the length of Lily's ears so as not to draw attention to her.

"Ready," Lily said in a cute and shy voice as she walked up to Kiara and took her hand.

"Ok," she replied as the pair left the dorm.

Once they reached the bottom floor, they walked towards the main auditorium and the adjacent courtyard. Lily clung on shyly to her as they walked, taking in her surroundings with curiosity though she became hesitant whenever a student passed them by. Most just politely nodded to Kiara as they carried on, some giving small greetings. As they passed the auditorium Lily tugged at her hand, making her stop as she looked down at her.

"Do you hear that?" Lily asked, her ears twitching underneath the beanie.

"Hear what?" Kiara asked as she swiveled her head around, trying to see if she would pick up anything.

"That sound . . . metal hitting something," Lily explained as she pointed towards one of the arena halls.

' _She can hear something from that far off? Damn, bat ears must be something else,'_ Kiara pondered as the pair walked in the direction of the arenas.

Once they arrived at the halls Kiara heard it as well. The distinct sound of a blade colliding into a metal object. She followed her ears until she arrived at the entrance to one of the arenas but noticed that the doors leading in were locked. ' _That's strange . . . why are they locked if someone is inside?'_ she wondered as she looked to the electronic scanner beside the doors. The arenas were usually open to students for practice during the day and only teachers had the authority to lock or unlock them for private use . . . as well as Slayers.

She fished out her scroll and swiped it over the scanner, a satisfying click sounding as the doors unlocked and automatically opened. As they did so Kiara caught a distinct and familiar scent, somewhat like that of mist and dew in the early morning. She and Lily walked in, along the rows of spectator seats until the edge of the arena. There, swinging a massive broadsword against solid iron test dummies was Thantos, his grey shirt drenched in sweat. The pair watched as he assaulted numerous dummies, controlling the oversized sword with a level of skill few could hope to match.

As he swung, completely oblivious to his audience, Kiara noted a slight glow coming off his right arm and shoulder. It was faint, coating even the sword, making it look like it was covered in fuzz. The sword slammed into the dummies with bone shattering force, gouging out solid cuts but failing to actually sever the dummies. After a few more swings Thantos grunted as he dropped the sword with a resounding clang and dropped to one knee, rubbing his right shoulder.

"Hey," Kiara called as she helped Lily up onto the arena before hopping up herself.

Thantos turned to look at them in surprise.

"Pretty sweet moves," Kiara continued as she walked over to him and crouched down to be eye level with him while Lily found interest in the dummies.

"Thanks," he sighed back as he looked at his right hand.

"What's with the stare? You look like something's bugging you," she said as she glanced at the sword beside him.

"Nothing much, just kind of upset that I couldn't hold out for longer," he replied.

"What? Swinging that hulking thing?" Kiara asked as she reached over and picked up the sword with a single hand, twirling it around with ease.

"You make that look so easy when that thing weighs nearly 200 lbs." he chuckled.

"I figured as much," she said as she trailed her finger over the edge, surprised to find it completely blunt. "How did you even cut those dummies without an edge?"

She glanced at Lily as Thantos thought on his answer. Lily was inspecting the dummies, running her hands along the cuts that Thantos made.

"I used my aura," he answered as he adjusted to sitting in a cross legged position. "I just focus more of my aura into my sword arm and the sword itself, then I concentrate my aura to enhance the cutting edge or create one in this case."

"Really?" Kiara asked in mild surprise.

Sure enough, the use of aura to enhance ones bodies, weapons, and even clothes was rather standard, but to be able to focus and maintain such auras while creating an edge and swing such a bulky sword was rather impressive.

"How long have you been at it?"

"Since our resident couple left," he answered.

"That's was like . . . 6 hours ago," Kiara said with an amused face. "You know we're on break right? There's no need to push yourself so hard."

She caught Thantos frown, subtly and only for the briefest of moments, but she'd noticed. She mentally noted to ask what that was about later, for now she felt like enjoying some refreshments with one of her teammates.

"Hey, want to come with me and Lily to the cafeteria for some snacks?" she asked as she handed him the sword.

He looked at her for a moment, possibly considering remaining to train more. He then smiled as he nodded, grunting as he forced himself to his feet.

"That sounds like a plan . . ."

* * *

She leaned back, sighing contently as she gaze at Lily as she hugged onto her plushy, sleeping snuggly in her bed. ' _Out like a rock,'_ she thought as she walked out of the room and quietly closed the door. She then walked to the living room and plopped down on the floor beside Thantos, his eyes scanning over some of the drawings left by Lily, before he glanced at her.

"Is taking naps a usual for her?" he asked.

"Well, she is a growing girl and a predatory faunus. Until she gets used to it most of her active time will be during late night or early in the morning," Kiara explained.

"Oh . . . what about you?"

"What about me?" she asked feigning ignorance.

"Do you like, sleep during the day?"

"Mmm . . . yeah, I've been known to enjoy a good catnap every once in a while."

Thantos grew quiet for a while after that, his hands seeming to fidget around until he spoke again without really looking at her.

"So how are you and Cicero getting along?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Well . . . he's nice and all but I think he's a little up tight."

"What do you mean?"

"He's got his sleep, meal times, workouts, and even 'group time' scheduled down. I mean, I saw him go to sleep in a really neat and tidy position, then woke up to find him in the exact same position. There wasn't even a wrinkle in his sheets."

"So you think he's dull," Thantos surmised.

Kiara nodded with a sigh. "Hope there's more to him when in a fight."

"Only time will tell."

The two fell into silence again, neither quite sure what to talk about. After a while Kiara remembered the frown back in the arena.

"Hey Thantos?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you look upset when I said you didn't have to train so hard?" she asked.

Thantos didn't reply immediately, instead running his hand through his blonde hair with a heavy sigh before he looked at her with his white eyes.

"I guess it was because . . . I don't feel like I did enough," he answered.

"What? When?" she asked in surprise.

"Back in the mountain. I underestimated my opponent and dragged out a fight, I almost got killed because of it. If I'd used my semblance from the start I could have killed Rios instantly, helped you . . . and stopped Aros from hurting you," he answered, his voice going unusually soft at the end.

"But you still beat him and we both made it out alive," she said.

"Only because Rios took his attention off me when you used your semblance, instead of finishing me off like anyone else in our positions would of," he replied, his voice taking a sad note. "We survived because of you, using an ability that hurts you so much while I got tossed around instead of fighting at my fullest."

"But I wasn't hurt that bad," she defended softly.

"Kiara," Thantos said, fixing her in a stern gaze. "You had several broken ribs, a concussion, torn bicep, fractured shin, broken ankle, without accounting for the tears from your semblance . . . all with a nearly depleted aura that wouldn't recover for nearly 12 hours."

"But . . . none of that was your fault," she tried to defend.

"It could have been avoided," he replied instantly. "I should have been stronger . . . and fought by your side."

"Thantos . . ." she said gently as she looked at him. "You are strong."

"Not like you . . . or Dante or Lucian," he said almost bitterly. "A human would still be in the hospital, even with aura increasing their healing rate."

She felt her ears flatten down as she looked at him. She was about to say something to comfort him but he spoke first.

"I always thought that by training until I couldn't move would let me be strong . . . allow me to fight against the toughest opponents, but then I met you three. It's like you belong to a world all your own, a world where only the truly strongest survive."

". . ."

"I felt so powerless when I heard you scream . . . saw you cry . . ."

She could see the sadness in his eyes, hear the pain in his voice. She glanced down at her hands for a moment before shyly shuffling closer and gently pulling him into a hug, her head resting on his shoulder. He returned the hug, embracing her tightly as he continued.

"For a moment I thought that you had given up . . . but then I saw you fight back," he said as he loosened the embrace to look at her in the face. "And what I saw was awe inspiring."

"Really?" she asked almost timidly.

Thantos nodded, a faint smile tracing his lips.

"You didn't find me . . . scary?" she asked hesitantly.

" . . . Yes."

"Oh," she mumbled as she started to look down.

"But I was far too impressed to be scared," he continued. "You looked so strong, so in control . . . so beautiful . . ."

She felt a blush come to her cheeks at hearing that, looking at him to see he was still smiling at her.

"I understand why it is that you've never used your semblance before . . . the risks and the pain that come with it are too much even if it gives you unrivaled power. That's why I'm training so hard, so that you don't have to pull the slack ever again . . . and so I can truly fight at your side."

". . . But I'm not even that strong," she said softly.

"Yes you are," he replied instantly.

"No I'm not . . . I may have been the alpha back in my academy days but to be honest, I always depended on Dante or my sister to make decisions. I was always scared that I wouldn't make a good choice, that I would let others down and fail, and then I did. Chui and Orion died, Dante ran away because of the massacre he carried out to protect me . . ."

She felt one hot tear run down her cheek, her ears flattening down as she looked at the floor, unable to meet Thantos' eyes. After a moment she felt him wrap her in another hug, her head this time resting against his chest. She was surprised at first, unsure of what to do but then she leaned into it, finding his presence comforting as she slowly calmed down.

"I know terrible things happened before and that you blame yourself for it but that doesn't make you weak," he said in a gentle voice, just above a whisper. "But even after everything, you still survived and fought on, you found Dante again, you became a powerful huntress . . . if anything it shows how strong you really are."

She didn't say anything, instead hugging him back as he tightened the embrace. They remained like that for what felt like hours, neither speaking, only taking comfort in each other's presence. Then Thantos slowly released the embrace and stood up with a faint blush on his cheeks.

"I . . . I should get going . . . Yatsuhashi wanted some pointers on sword techniques," he said as he waved goodbye before heading for the door.

"Hey Thantos," she called.

He stopped as he glanced back at her curiously, his blush fading.

"If you want . . . we can train together some time," she said with a small smile. "It could be fun . . ."

He studied her for a few moments before he returned his own smile. "I'd like that."

"Ok . . . see you later," she replied without getting up, simply watching him as he nodded before exiting the dorm.

' _What was . . . that?'_ she wondered as she looked down at herself.

She could still smell his scent on her shirt, feel the lasting touch of his arms, as tender as if she'd been enveloped by feathers yet firm and strong. She remembered back to the mountain and fighting Aros, for the moment she'd looked to him and saw something unforgettable. There he'd stood, a pair of glowing wings on his back, his already marble white irises glowing, and his longsword at his side. ' _He was like an angel, ready to strike down the darkness,'_ she thought as the blush returned to her cheeks.

She sighed as she finally got up and walked into Dante and Athena's room, plopping down onto the queen sized bed face first. They'd said she was more than welcome to stay in their room while she watched over Lily, even going as far as to get her a fresh set of sheets and pillows. ' _That really didn't have to . . . but I'm glad they did,'_ she thought as she felt her eyelids shut, her mind clearing of everything but the image of white wings . . .

* * *

"Oh, oh! How about we make cookies tonight?" a redhead asked excitedly as she ran up to the heiress.

"Ruby, I said no sweets until you complete Port's assignment," Weiss replied making the brunette deflate.

"Aren't you being a little tough Weiss?" asked Velvet from behind the pair.

"No," Weiss replied to the bunny before returning her gaze to Ruby, "We can buy the materials but no baking until you finish."

"Yay!" Ruby shouted as she hugged the heiress, making her not too subtly blush.

"Cute," Blake whispered from behind the group before she glanced to Lucian as he watched as well. "Don't you agree?"

"Ruby really is like a puppy," he mumbled back as the group resumed walking down the Vale market, enjoying the hustle and bustle of vendors around them.

After his leader's departure that morning Lucian had agreed to accompany team RWBY, save Yang, along with Velvet into Vale to visit the local market and shops. It was just around noon and the five had been in Vale for an hour or so, mostly looking at the sales and shops but not really buying anything yet. So far the only stop had been at a small fruit stand offering everything from fruits on a stick to smoothies.

Lucian himself had indulged in a mango and pineapple smoothie. He sipped at the last bits of his drink as the group stopped at a produce stand, Velvet looking intently through the vegetables with some help from Weiss.

"Looks like she's really excited about cooking tonight," Blake mumbled as her eyes flicked between the stand and Velvet.

"Is it just me or do you not look so excited," he said as looked at the cat.

"I am . . . it's just that I'm not really that big on greens," Blake replied with the slightest blush of embarrassment.

"Ah," he replied in understanding.

He remembered how he'd also resisted eating vegetables at first, his inner predator grimacing at the thought of eating anything that didn't have the unmistakable flavor of flesh. Plants were something that prey was supposed to eat, because they were weak and couldn't kill like he could. It took him some time but in the end, proper nutrition was more important than a discomfort of greens.

"You'll get over it in time," he continued as he looked out over the crowd, his trained eyes roving through the faces in search of any signs of alarm.

"Are you looking for something?" Blake asked as she looked at the crowd around them as well.

"Not really, it's just a habit . . . a densely populated area, plenty of cover, the air filled with all sorts of sounds and smells. Ideal for someone to track you or set up a trap," he whispered back, making sure that only Blake could hear him through the noise surrounding them.

"That's kind of pessimistic isn't it," she mumbled back as she looked at him with her bright yellow eyes.

He smirked as he looked to her. "I know but . . . better safe than sorry."

". . . And is there anyone in particular you're watching out for?" she asked with narrowing eyes.

He sighed heavily as he looked back into the crowd. "Sometimes we make mistakes and in doing so, harm others . . . and it's only a matter of time before they appear again . . ." he replied with a regretful tone.

Blake got the hint that he wasn't really up for show and tell so the two remained silent, waiting for their friends to wrap up their business at the stand and move on. It took a few more minutes but soon the group was moving again. As they continued to move Blake stayed by his side, occasionally flicking her gaze to him.

"What's on your mind?" he asked as he watched Weiss and Velvet discuss some of the details for the group dinner.

" . . . I was just thinking," Blake started carefully. "What mistake did you make?"

". . ."

He looked at the cat for a few moments, wondering just how much to explain, if at all.

"I . . . was too indecisive," he said.

"What do you mean?" she persisted.

"I was with a group . . . a pack of sorts. I hadn't exactly joined willingly but I still took part in their activities, even if I had reservations about it," he explained.

"Why would you do that? Surely you could have opted out if you didn't want to participate," Blake said with a raised eyebrow.

"You and I both know things are rarely that simple," he countered. "Especially within certain . . . groups."

Blake's bow flattened at that, knowing that he meant her past with the White Fang.

He sighed as he continued, "After some time I was put at a cross roads. I could fight and try to put a stop to this group or I could leave . . . so I did."

Blake remained silent for a moment before asking, "And what happened to that group?"

"Don't know," he answered simply.

"Don't know or more like you don't want to know?" Blake persisted.

He couldn't help but lightly chuckle as he answered. "Take your pick, either way it leads to the same end."

Blake narrowed her eyes at that before muttering, "What's with you Slayers and being so secretive?"

"Now why would you say that?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, aside from the obvious going on missions without telling us what they're about, all of you get jumpy whenever we try to ask about your pasts. Even Dante wouldn't go into much detail about why this family trip was so important," she explained.

"You really would be better off not knowing," he said softly. "As they say, ignorance is bliss."

Blake didn't look too pleased with that answer but before she could try to ask him more Ruby ran back to them, while Velvet and Weiss kept moving forward.

"Hey, you guys feel like stopping to get lunch somewhere?" the redhead asked excitedly.

Lucian and Blake exchanged a glance before nodding.

"Awesome, I know a great place that's just a few blocks away," Ruby continued before using her semblance to materialize in front of Weiss, making the heiress jump in surprise.

Lucian chuckled as the group started to follow Ruby, leaving the market and taking an adjacent road down, lined with several café's and smaller restaurants. As the group moved down the road Lucian felt his nose twitch as a breeze rolled by, making him stop walking. The group moved a few more paces before Blake noticed that he was no longer walking with them.

"Lucian?" she asked as the group collectively turned around with perplexed expressions.

He smiled as he waved, "Go on ahead . . . I need to check something quick. I'll catch up in a moment."

The group exchanged glances before continuing on their way to where Ruby suggested. Once the girls were about a block or so off Lucian glanced back before he started to casually walk. He then passed an alleyway and walked in, pressing up against the near wall the moment he was out of sight from the sidewalk. Roughly 15 seconds passed before a figure appeared to walk in front the alley entrance but never made it past as Lucian sprinted forward and grabbed the figure by the collar, pulling the figure into the alley.

He slammed the figure into the adjacent wall before taking a look at his pursuer. It was a small, male faunus, a ferret by the look of it, with choppy black hair and two small ears atop his head. ' _A Gamma?'_ he wondered as he growled at the faunus, making him tremble.

"H-How did y-you know?" the ferret asked in a tiny voice.

"You smell like blood," he answered. "Now who are you and why were you following me?"

The ferrets light brown eyes darted around, his heart rate rising as he tried to form a coherent response.

"I'm waiting," he growled, purposely allowing his fangs to be visible.

"I-I don't know w-why . . . they just said to f-find and follow you," the ferret answered in a fear stricken voice.

"Who!?" he asked forcefully, lifting the ferret of his feet by the collar of his shirt.

"I don't know . . . I just remember someone knocking me out last night while I was out . . . then waking up with a blindfold and tied to a chair. They said to find your scent . . . deliver a message."

"And you just followed those orders without knowing who they were from or why you had to do it?" Lucian asked hotly.

"They said that they'd kill me otherwise," the ferret replied.

Lucian looked at the panicking faunus for a few moments before asking, "What message?"

The ferret looked back at him briefly before slowly moving his left hand to his shirt and lifting up the garment to show his lower gut. Lucian looked at it and felt his heart skip a beat, recognizing the sight instantly. There, clawed into the skin of the ferret, was a bloody mark. It was made with 5 points split at the top, tearing in a horizontal zigzag before joining together at a middle point and running straight down, the end still oozing blood.

' _No . . . it can't be . . .'_ Lucian thought as his grip on the ferret's collar went slack, dropping him to the ground. The faunus looked up at him in confusion, unsure of what to do now that the message was delivered. Lucian then glared at him before speaking.

"Run . . ."

"Wha—" the ferret was about to ask but Lucian cut him off.

"I said run!" he shouted, making the ferret jump to his feet and bolt away.

Once he was alone he rested one hand against the wall, his mind reeling at what he'd just seen. ' _This can't be happening . . . not now,'_ he thought as he slowly walked back into the sidewalk and resumed moving towards the restaurant, following the scent of the students. He spotted it soon enough, a small place named 'Pete's Hot Shack', along with Blake waiting near the entrance.

"Lucian," she said as he neared her. "Are you ok . . . you look a little pale."

"Huh? Oh, don't worry, just a little hungrier than I expected," he lied, not wanting to worry the student.

Blake looked like she was going to say something else but he rested a hand on her shoulder with a small smile.

"No worries, let's just eat," he said as he opened the door for her.

She gave him one last glance before walking in, him following close after. ' _Nothing you should be worrying about anyways . . .'_

* * *

 **Author's Rant: More mystery! A tad cruel, to leave you all with these little snippets without any answers for a good time. Any thoughts, opinions, feedback, reviews ~ you know the drill!**

 **As always, a pleasure, Jbubu**


	3. The Restless

**Author's Note: The 3rd chapter, more brought to light and even more so left in the dark! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY**

* * *

Crato thrusted with one half of Gungnir, only to find empty space. He retracted the sword in time to join its sister half, overlapping to block a series of slashes from Cicero, sparks flying as the combatants moved around on even footing. Cicero was faster, his two large knives fashioned into hooked shapes whistling through the air as they collided with Crato's heavier swords, but in terms of power he fell short of Crato. They both realized this but Cicero kept tabs on their spacing, backpedaling out of any situation where Crato could secure a direct attack.

' _He's no joke,'_ Crato thought as he jumped up before bringing his swords down. Rather than duck out of the way as he'd done before, Cicero raised his hooks up and blocked the slash, a wave of pressure fracturing the ground below him as he grunted. Before Crato could try to retract his swords Cicero twisted his hooks, snagging onto the cross guards of the swords and keeping them in a lock.

The fighters stared at each other as their weapons trembled from pushing against each other. Then suddenly Cicero smirked before pulling back and falling onto his back. As he did that he pulled Crato along with him but then he lashed out with a kick, nailing Crato in the gut and sending over onto his back as well. Crato coughed slightly as he got back to his feet and glared at Cicero, the latter already back on his feet as well.

"Nice trick, don't you think?" Cicero asked as he slowly circled Crato.

"Decent enough, wouldn't be too useful if you're up against more than one person," he replied.

"You'd be surprised," Cicero replied with a smirk.

Crato couldn't help but grunt at that as he kept his eyes on the hooked knives. Cicero had disconnected the wires and harness attached to them before they left to one of the open fields to spar. Though he still didn't know what the whole harness and wires were for, he could tell that even as simple knives, Cicero could use them with lethal skill. His movements were sharp and explosive, the hook shape of the knives giving them an added angle of versatility.

Their stare off lasted for a few more seconds before Cicero initiated the attack, his knives nearly a blur as they went after any opening Crato had. He on his end reacted as quickly as he could, batting away the attacks while also looking for any chance to counter but Cicero left none. They maintained the exchange for roughly a minute before both jumped back to disengage and recover. At times like this Crato really appreciated the crisp fall air, the subtle breezes rolling by and cooling their bodies though it did leave a slight chill to their sweaty shirts.

After a moment Cicero relaxed his stance, his arms hanging loosely at his sides as he rolled his shoulder to relieve some tension.

"Feel like taking a break?" Cicero asked.

"Sure," Crato sighed back as he relaxed as well, feeling grateful the small break. "How long have we been at it?"

"Just over 3 hours," Cicero replied easily as he sheathed the hooked knives at his sides. "Should be lunch time soon."

"Wanna go another round or two before we head to the cafeteria for lunch?" he asked as planted the ends of his swords in the ground and sat down.

"Sounds good," Cicero agreed as he sat down as well.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Cicero spoke as he looked up at the clear sky.

"It's odd, just before I left Atlas the usual temperatures were already nearing the 50's at the peak of the day. Here in Vale it feels like it won't drop below the 70's for at least another month."

"Yeah, it makes training year round a lot easier," Crato agreed as another breeze rolled through.

"Hehe . . . in Atlas we train even in the middle of winter, the cold be damned," Cicero chuckled.

"Really? But doesn't having to wear all those extra coats get in the way?" he asked curiously.

"We just go without them," Cicero replied nonchalantly.

Crato gave him a slightly disbelieving look. Sure, they could train in the cold but Atlas' winters could be brutal, especially to the north borders with temperatures dropping below freezing.

Cicero noted the look and responded, "You get used to it after a while . . . frostbite can be a bitch though."

"Now I'm kinda glad I left that academy in Atlas," Crato muttered.

"Helm's Gate right?" Cicero asked.

Crato looked at him with a mix of surprise and shock, wondering how was it that Cicero knew the academy's name.

"How did . . ."

". . . I know the name of the academy that kicked you out? I was given some file overviews by my original officer before I was transferred to Beacon," Cicero answered easily.

"They even had that on file?" Crato asked lowly.

"Yeah, the files had mostly simple physical description, past affiliations, small combat record, and the current status of each member," Cicero explained. "I just noted yours because it mentioned that you were admitted into Helm's Gate."

"Huh . . . and here I thought they would have erased me from their records."

"You mean erase the record of an outstanding student that wiped the floor with an upperclassmen team as a first year, killed his own team leader, and then was only expelled instead of being arrested on the spot? Not likely," Cicero said.

"But I thought the academy didn't want any mention of that day and risk tarnishing their reputation," Crato replied.

"Maybe in public records but there's no way they wouldn't keep some record of you . . . especially considering your heritage . . ."

". . . So you even know about that," Crato mumbled as he stared at Cicero, now more careful of the man in front of him. He was far better informed that Crato would have liked.

"Changing your last name, a decent trick to hide the connection but my question is why?" Cicero asked, his eyes seemingly hardening as he looked back at Crato.

Crato sighed heavily before responding. "I guess I just didn't want to be associated with him . . ."

"Why not? He was a hero," Cicero continued.

"Yeah . . . a hero to some . . ." he replied almost bitterly. ' _Lousy father . . . but then again, who would want an illegitimate child.'_

"Sounds like someone didn't have the best relationship," Cicero commented lowly.

"Yeah . . . it's been nearly 10 years since he passed. They said he saved an entire town before he fell," Crato mumbled as he looked to some trees, remembering some of the tall tales that followed after the news of his death arrived.

"But if you didn't want any association, then why did you go to the same academy? Getting into Helm's Gate is just as hard, if not more so than Beacon," Cicero persisted.

"I'm not really sure why . . . I guess I did it on a whim," he answered.

"That was an oddly specific whim then," Cicero muttered.

"Well, it doesn't really matter seeing as I got myself kicked out anyways," Crato said.

". . . I guess . . . you sure did leave a mark though," Cicero said.

"What do you mean?" Crato asked.

"Well . . . I went to Helm's as well, the year after you if memory serves correctly. We got this big speech about not getting into unsolicited fights and the upperclassmen kept rumors about some newbie who snapped and killed his leader. It wasn't hard to figure out, even if the professors tried to cut down on the rumors," Cicero explained.

"Great, so now I'm some infamous ghost from Helm's Gate," Crato said crossly.

"Just about," Cicero agreed before looking somewhat hesitant as he asked, ". . . do you know what happened to the rest of your team?"

"Not really, I just returned to Vale and started up as a sell-sword," Crato replied. "Made a reputation, got contacts, and as one thing went to another, ended up in the Slayer Program."

"Oh," was all that Cicero replied. Crato had a nagging suspicion that Cicero knew what happened but he wasn't interested in learning it for himself at the moment.

They remained quiet for some time, neither seeming to find how to continue the conversation so Crato tried for a change of subject.

"What team were you part of before Beacon?"

Cicero looked momentarily surprised by the question but regained his composure before responding.

"Well, during my 3rd year at Helm's, a certain general was hunting for talents to try for the Slayer program. I was actually planning on going for an S-classed certification after graduation but I just jumped at the chance to become one earlier. I did pretty well and became one of 6 to be accepted."

"So you started out at 19? Damn, it makes me feel so old. I'm 22 while everyone else is 19 or 20, and almost all of them got some kind of elite training before they came to the Slayer program," Crato said.

"What do you mean? Athena and Thantos aside, everyone else only had standard academy training before soloing for a few years and then coming to the Slayer Program," Cicero asked with a perplexed face.

"Well, I can't really speak for Havasu but you didn't read into the particular academy Dante and Kiara came from, did you?"

Cicero shook his head so Crato explained about Othrys Academy and how Dante and Kiara were considered prodigies from that hellish school, each earning infamous titles and full hunter certifications upon graduation. Well, Kiara did but Dante had left the academy before he could receive an official license which lead to his time as a mercenary and assassin, much like Crato himself.

"Ok, that explains Dante and Kiara but what about Lucian?" Cicero asked.

"On paper it says he had standard academy training but really he was homeschooled by some top notch instructors, then he went on to work for several high class associations as a hitman. From what he's told me, they had training regimens as well, all to make him even more dangerous then he already was," Crato replied.

"Well I guess that can count . . . but that still leaves Havasu in the dark," Cicero pointed out.

"Well, your guess is as good as mine. Normally he's all chatty and jokes but the minute you ask about his past he just gets tight lipped," he replied.

"And none of you find that suspicious in the slightest?" Cicero asked with a raised eyebrow.

Crato just shrugged as he got to his feet. "I can't really judge it, after all, we all have things in the past that we want to stay there. Hell, even with everything Dante has told us about his past, I'm sure there are things he's still keeping to himself. It's up to him to bring it up or not."

"…" Cicero didn't add anything to that as he stood as well, his knives already drawn and ready to continue their sparring session.

"Ready?" Crato asked as he took his stance, this time joining the swords together to form Gungnir.

Cicero nodded to which Crato smirked as he surged forward . . .

* * *

A massive boom rang out as a thick tree shook, several leaves falling loose as the swaying stopped. A few moments of silence, then another boom as the tree shook again. This had been going on for several minutes now, the bottom of the tree's trunk being stuck with bone shattering force. There at its base, stood a tan figure, sweat dripping off his body as he panted steadily. He was in a battle stance, his left leg drawn forward, and foot facing the tree. His right leg was bent behind him as a support, the foot facing parallel to the tree while his left arm was outstretched with his palm nearly touching the trunk.

His right hand was balled into a fist and pulled tight to his side, the skin around his knuckle already torn as small traces of blood oozed out but the man paid it no mind. A few seconds passed before he rotated his shoulders and lashed out at the trunk, his knuckle striking the already shattering bark as the tree shook again. He sighed as he returned to his former stance, preparing for the next strike.

"Need to do better," he mumbled to himself as he lashed out. ". . . Still not enough."

He retook his stance.

"My performance was subpar . . . again."

Another strike, shards of bark flying out as his fist partially buried into the trunk.

"Dammit . . ." he muttered as he prepared to strike again, his face beginning to form a scowl. "Come on . . . just a little more."

Another strike, a distinct cracking sound following as the fracture grew but the tree still stood. He grit his teeth as he prepared again, more blood oozing out of the cuts along his knuckle. ' _Is this really all I have?!'_ he thought angrily, his frame beginning to shake in frustration.

"Worthless!" he shouted as he delivered another punch, this time splitting the bark and tunneling into the trunk. After a few seconds the tree started to lean back, the last tethers of bark and wood fibers finally giving way as the tree fell back, cut down by the man's punch. He then sighed heavily as he adjusted to standing normally and inspect his handy work. The stump left was nearly 3 feet thick, the side closest to him showing the signs of his repeated attacks.

' _So it takes at least 10 punches without aura to break through these trees,'_ he thought as he shifted his gaze to his knuckle. The skin and muscle was torn back, some of his bone becoming visible. He sighed again as he stopped suppressing his aura, a faint orange glow surrounding his knuckle as the flesh began to mend. He guessed it would be around 30 minutes before his knuckle was back to proper state. ' _The up side to not using aura when training . . . you can repair the damage quicker,'_ he thought as he looked around him.

He was near the impromptu training ground the other Slayers had formed to train their mentees though it was far more built up now. With the repeated visits each of the Slayers had made small additions to the grounds. Several sets of stone weights had been carved out, sections of open space for sparing and such, and even a set of small shacks to store supplies. At the edges of the clearing there were several other trees, all brought down by the same method as the one before him.

He slowly walked towards the stream that passed by the grounds, plopping down on a rock at the edge of the stream and looking at the clear water. His reflection had hard, maple colored eyes, some of his dark hairs breaching past his eyebrows while the side remained close cut, nearly shaved. The reflection looked angry and tired, sweat trailing off his body with small cuts trailing over his cheeks from the bark ricocheting.

"Damn Havasu," he said to the reflection, "You look as good as you feel."

He took his eyes of the reflection's face, instead moving to the exposed chest and gut. Not once since he'd come to Beacon had he allowed himself to be seen shirtless. He never used the communal showers, always took all his clothes with him during his showers in his dorm, and used full t-shirts at all times, at times allowing himself to go with a sleeveless but never a tank shirt.

Why? Was he shy? Not in the slightest, it was simply easier to never have to explain what was underneath.

The reflection's torso was covered in an array of cuts, some looking like the handy work of a Grimm but others were clearly done by human weapons. Cuts, stab wounds, even one from a shotgun, all marring his skin with scars. He looked to the gut, a new, larger scar having been added to the archive of scars on him. His back was the same if not worse than his front.

He sighed sadly, his prior anger fading as he listened to the water course along its path. He glanced back to the tree he'd brought down, the sight only managing to lower his spirit even further. ' _They could have brought it down with one hit,'_ he thought somewhat bitterly. He didn't know when was it that these feelings had started to take hold but he could tell it wasn't only him. Himself, Thantos, Crato at times, and even Glynda, they all showed the signs. Minute changes in posture, second glances, a subtle change in how closely they interacted physically.

Whether the actions were based of unease and fear, admiration and respect, or envy even, he couldn't be sure. Of course all students and teachers showed the signs as well, but that was to be expected. All the Slayers were treated in a similar regard but to cause such reactions in their peers and superiors . . . they truly were at a class their own. Out of the humans, Athena was the only one that didn't show any noticeable signs of unease when around them. He chalked it up to being in a relationship with Dante and thus, by being the alpha's partner, had no reason to be uneasy around his pack.

She was even able to remain after watching Kiara have to eat the meat in front of them. He on his part had been shocked to actually watch, especially after seeing how Kiara reacted to it. She may have tried to hide it but he could tell. How she was drawn to it the moment the scent reached her, relished in the taste of blood and flesh. Even if he knew she was a friend, understood that her actions were driven by need rather than choice, it still made his blood run cold. He'd tried to comfort her when she'd apologized for feeding in front of them but just his small jester of kindness had taken all his will to perform, rather than back away and trying to erase the sight from memory.

"But it wasn't her fault," he whispered to himself. "She isn't a monster . . . none of them are."

Even as told himself that he couldn't bring himself to truly believe it. He'd faced Kiara first hand and had been bested with ease, then watched how she fought with Dante. Their strength displayed was impressive but even then he knew, what they saw was nothing more than a show. If either had decided to show just how strong they were the arena would have been destroyed. Dante had slipped for one moment, punching the ground when he confessed to abandoning Kiara and it was a sloppy, half-assed punch at that, yet he fractured the whole arena.

If what Dante said was true and Kiara is stronger than him, then even without aura, Kiara could easily crush any of them with her strength and she could have easily beaten Aros. So why? Why did they all hold back to the point that they endangered themselves?

He remembered when he'd asked Athena what they'd fought at the top of the mountain. She had been brief, mentioning one S-Classed faunus along with the Alpha but when asked on how they were beaten, she got silent. Her silence was his answer . . . both had been bested by Dante . . . and judging by what he'd seen, it had been an overwhelmingly one-sided fight.

"There really isn't any way that we could hold a candle against them," he whispered as he turned his face to the afternoon sky, following a bird as it passed by.

He knew part of it was jealousy, to see such power pass him by without any chance of him matching them. He thought he'd finally escaped it, the crushing sense of being inadequate and unable to meet expectations. He wanted to stand as an equal to them, fight at their sides, to truly stand as one. Regardless of the fear he had of them, he would not lie to himself, he admired them as well.

"Well," he said curtly as he stood up. "It's now use just wallowing in self-pity and staring at the sky. If I want to stand on the same ground, then I need to be training."

He turned towards a new tree, walking over as he rotated his shoulders in preparation for the training he was going to continue. He assumed his stance and focused on suppressing his aura. As he let the first strike fly he thought to himself, ' _Diomede may have been right about their strength . . . but that doesn't mean they're the enemy.'_ He would train with all the will he could muster, to come closer to them and stand at their sides, to move beyond the shadows that have tormented him for so long . . .

* * *

 **Author's Rant: Damn, now we got some questions to ask. Hope this gets everyone excited for the next volume!**

 **Jbubu**


	4. Weak Heart

**Author's Note: Last one and for a good while! I hope everyone has enjoyed these chapters and is on the edge of their seats wanting to know what is going to happen. Hehe, all in good time . . . enjoy!**

* * *

There was a knocking sound but she paid it no heed. Her only focus was the substance running down her throat, the nourishing nectar that gave her strength, at the cost of another's life. She drank and drank, her thirst seemingly unquenchable and yet, the stream ran dry. As she drained the last drops the door to her chamber opened, a new presence walking in. Her meal spent, she looked up to the unwanted intruder, contemplating whether the figure's life was worth sparring.

"I do believe three is enough, Lady Aleera," said the women shrouded in the familiar garb of a dark cloak and black Grimm mask of a legionnaire.

Alluria couldn't help but scowl at the mention of her titled name, still growing accustomed to being called that rather than her birth name, though she did prefer it when addressed by humans. She turned her gaze to the body lying limp in her arms, empty blue eyes looking back at her. It was a White Fang grunt, a dog faunus of some kind judging by the ears, her throat torn open to expose the artery.

' _I didn't mean to kill her,'_ she thought with the slightest pang of regret as she slowly closed the fauna's eyes and set her down. She then looked to the opposite side of the room, noting 2 other corpses, one large man and a small one, both with the same throat tears and some blood splatter on the walls. She could vaguely remember how they got there, having been brought by Dr. Lepio to sate her ravenous hunger and speed her recovery. A few blurry images came to mind. The grunts being brought in, cutting the wrist of the large one . . . then everything went red. She guessed that had been several hours ago.

She could feel that her body had recovered from almost all the damage left by the Demon, even her wing having fully reformed, but her hunger persisted. ' _I could always eat the bodies as well,'_ she thought as she slowly stood up and flexed her legs and wings, the freshly healed muscles still feeling somewhat tender. She then glanced to the waiting woman, noting the obvious grimace on her face as she looked at the carnage.

"Clean up," the legionnaire snapped as she tossed a cloth towards her. "Last thing we need is the soldiers pissing their pants because you're walking around with blood dripping off your chin."

"Watch that tone," Alluria replied lowly, her eyes momentarily shifting to their true form, allowing her to see the heart and veins of the woman as if they were glowing.

The legionnaire didn't reply, instead pulling out a scroll and looking at some message. "Hurry . . . your partner wishes to see you," she said as she put the scroll away.

Alluria grimaced as she discarded the dirtied cloth, stepping closer to the legionnaire just to look down at her, a good 6 inches marking the difference in height. "Lead the way," she said hotly. All she wanted to do was finish her meal and sleep the day away.

The legionnaire said nothing, instead turning on her heel and taking a brisk pace as the two walked down a grey tiled corridor, out of the staff lodgings. As the sound of their steps reverberated through the halls Alluria took in her surroundings, having seen only the inside of the room she'd awoken in and then a brief bit of halls before being moved to her current room. The facility seemed new, the halls smelling of little more than cleaning agents and cold metal. Alluria then turned her attention to the legionnaire before her, noting the small feline ears poking out the top of her head and the end of a tail peeking out from under the cloak.

She had fairly light skin and flowing, light brown hair that disappeared into her cloak, a few odd blonde and black patterns appearing occasionally, looking like misshaped highlights. Her hair aside, Alluria couldn't really make out much more since the woman's body was hidden under her cloak and mask covering down to her cheeks. The woman turned a corner, her right shoulder being visible for a moment allowing Alluria to make out an emblem on her right arm.

"A Cardinal," she mumbled to herself, noting the wings surrounding an equilateral cross.

"Does that surprise you?" the woman suddenly asked as she walked down another hallway.

"Just found it somewhat interesting. How did someone as young as yourself achieve such a high rank?" she asked. As far as she knew, most legionnaires were ranked as common foot soldiers and only officers received titles such priest or bishop. This young woman, probably not even older than herself, not only had an officer's rank but that of a Cardinal, a hand-picked officer serving directly under . . . them.

"How else? I earned it," the woman replied in an almost snarky tone. "Unlike some others . . ."

"What was that?" Alluria snapped, having clearly heard the remark.

"Oh nothing, nothing," the woman dismissed, feigning ignorance.

Alluria was starting to grow angry with her, knowing that the remark was aimed at her. Unlike this Beta breed faunus, an Alpha within the legion was ranked independently as a Holy Knight or more formally known, Crusader. ' _She thinks I don't deserve my rank,'_ she thought as she glared at the fauna's back.

"You can quit the glare," the woman said dryly without even bothering to look back at her.

Alluria didn't respond, instead intensifying the glare as the two approached a large set of double doors, the smell of fresh blood permeating on the other side. The cardinal slowly pulled one of the doors open, the once serene silence smashing into oblivion as piercing screams and howls of pain surged forth, assaulting Alluria's sensitive ears. She winced slightly as the 2 entered what apparently was a large indoor stadium of sorts, a doomed roof made of steel with blinding lights bathing the floor below in harsh rays.

The 2 walked towards edge of a balcony, overlooking a large arena floor, to an intimidating sight. Littered across the floor were dozens of bodies, some garbed in White Fang attire while others donned the legionnaire masks, all dismembered in some way. Standing in the middle of slaughter was a woman, her back turned to them, the end of the katana she held being buried in the chest of the last of the grunts. She had bronze hair flowing almost to the middle of her back, the light's overhead being reflected as if they really were woven out of bronze.

She was dressed in a small set of red shorts and black sports bra, nothing more, while her claves and shins were covered in a familiar pattern of scales with bronze coloration.

"Lady Nida!" the cardinal called to get the woman's attention.

"Took long enough," the woman known as Nida replied without turning while she flicked her katana, an arc of blood shooting off the black blade. "And here I was thinking you'd make it back before I finished up here."

"My apologies, there was an issue of clean up," the cardinal replied.

Before Alluria could respond to that Nida chuckled. "Yes . . . my new partner. All done nursing your wounds . . . little bat."

Alluria suppressed the urge to hiss at Nida, knowing that in her current state she wasn't a match for this woman.

"So why was it you called me here?" Alluria asked, trying to keep her temper in check.

"Oh well," Nida replied as she slowly turned around, uncharacteristically soft brown eyes looking up at them. "I felt like I should have formally introduced myself as your partner . . . and to give you a helpful piece of advice."

Suddenly Nida's eyes hardened as she jumped up to their balcony several meters above the arena. She landed on the railing, her black katana held off in her left hand as she surged forward at a pace Alluria could barely track. In an instant Nida had her right hand around her throat, lifting her up and off the ground. Alluria grabbed onto her forearm in hopes of getting it off but Nida's grip was like steel.

She then looked at Nida's face and felt her heart skip a beat, a sudden fear gripping her as she looked at Nida's eyes. Instead of brown irises and white sclera, Nida's sclera were a subtle yellow that brightened as it neared the irises but then came the worst part. ' _N-no . . . they're just like . . . his eyes,'_ Alluria thought in near panic as she saw those crossed slits surrounded by intense bronze.

For a moment she almost felt like she was facing the demon again, those piercing silver eyes looking at her like the prey she was. She shut her eyes for a moment, desperately trying to erase the image form her mind but as she did so, Nida spoke.

"I heard from her grace, you failed to protect that little lab and lost the only successful prototype. Then you come scrounging back looking like a broken chew toy and even then you still retain your title of Crusader." Nida spat out the last word, clearly not too fond of it herself. "But that's only because you're still in his good graces. Now, as it stands you will moving in coordination with me . . . and I expect nothing short of perfection."

Alluria finally opened her eyes again, this time avoiding looking directly at those harrowing eyes. She caught Nida smirk before she abruptly released her, dropping her to the ground as she rubbed at her sour throat.

"I'm not even sure if I'm disappointed . . . after all, I had minimal expectations to begin with," Nida mocked as she turned her back and looked back down at the arena floor. "Whatever . . . even a deadweight such as yourself will do little to hold me back. Now, it's only a matter of time before they send us out. Hopefully that _mutt_ won't take all the fun," Nida finished.

The cardinal cleared her throat at that, getting Nida's attention while Alluria simply watched, not too keen on getting between the two.

"If you would, my lady. Please refrain from addressing one of your order in such terms . . . you are allies after all," said the cardinal.

"I'm only being honest," Nida defended with an innocent pout. "If it smells like a mutt, begs like a mutt, and wags its tail like a mutt, it's a mutt."

"Regardless, such reference undermines the building of trust," the cardinal replied.

"Oh boo~" Nida whined, "You can be so dull, little kitty."

At that the cardinal growled, flashing a set of fangs too large for any standard cat faunus. ' _She's definitely a higher class of feline . . . maybe lion,'_ Alluria thought.

"Don't. Call. Me. That," the cardinal said in a low tone.

"Aww . . . what's wrong? Did I hit a sour spot?" Nida mocked, clearly trying to egg the cardinal on.

It seemed that the cardinal caught on to it as well, hiding her fangs again as she looked away.

Nida clicked her teeth in irritation. "There goes my chance at a decent fight, pity. I'd heard some big things about you and your academy days . . . but it looks like I won't be seeing that side for now," she said as she turned away. "Maybe some other time." Nida then bounded off the side of the balcony and descended back to the arena floor.

Alluria herself got up on shaky legs and turned towards the exit, not bothering to look back. She heard the cardinal follow behind but didn't make any acknowledgement to her. They walked in silence until they reached Alluria's room.

"There will be a meeting later this afternoon," the cardinal said as Alluria opened her door. "Don't be late."

With that Alluria heard the cardinal walk away, her steps soon sounding distant, as she herself stepped into the dark confines of her room. She glanced at the corpses still on the floor but chose to ignore them, instead laying down on her partially stained bed. She then glanced at her hands, noting that they were still shaking. She clenched them, hopping to calm her nerves but it was a failing attempt.

She wondered what was it that Nida had meant about the cardinal and her academy days. Sure, the cardinal seemed exceptionally strong and didn't show any fear when confronting Alphas, but there was something else about her that Alluria couldn't quite shake. She couldn't recall having seen that particular legionnaire before, but then again, she'd never been to this particular facility before either. She didn't even know which kingdom they were hidden in. She was simply there following orders without complaint and praying to be of some use. Anything was better than to be discarded . . . again.

Here she was, surrounded by supposed allies and yet, she felt more vulnerable and alone than ever before. ' _Just what can I do? I . . . I'm . . . too . . . weak,'_ she thought miserably as she closed her eyes, one small tear leaking out . . .

* * *

 **Author's Rant: Of the 4 chapters, I feel like this one leaves the biggest questions. Several new people, unknown connections, and a harrowing threat.**


End file.
